Compressed air soap



Jan. 26, 1932. v wELTER 1,842,738

COMPRESSED AIR SOAP Filed May 2, 1929 B g I powder from liquid izing apparatus.

order to secure these Patented Jan. '26, 1932 PATENT or FICE ADOLF WELTER, 0F KREFELD-RHEINHAFEN, GERMANY COMPRESSED AIR SOAP Application filed May 2, 1929, Serial No. 360,008, and in Germany October 31, 1928.

The presentinvention relates to an improved process for preparing soap powder from liquid grain soap.

It has hitherto been usual to produce soap the latter in a closed vessel (autoclave) to a temperature exceeding 100 0., and then supplying the liquid grain soap under the pressure prevailing in the vessel to any atom- Naturally, the soap solutlon 1s the more thinly liquid and, accordingly, the atomization is the better, the higher the presure prevailing in the vessel and therefore the temperature producing it. In

steam for example has been much as possible,

pressurevessel. However.

injected into the the soap this that the atomization was not efl'ected ad 530 vanta eou'sl A ain instead of injectin g y g g vessel. However,

steam, the vessel containing the liquid grain soap has been heated by means of heating devices from the exterior, i. e. by heating devices from which no steam could enter the the soap on the walls of the vessel then became so strongly heated, that solid masses (incrustations) set on the walls,.which masses acted, so to speak, as heat insulators, and caused considerable 39 Waste of heat. This became very apparent,

and was very disadvantageous particulari. e. soaps mixed with ly when filled soaps,

as, for example, waterother additions such glass, were treated.

A further disadvantage also was that only large vessels could be used for working in, since only then could a uniform pressure be ensured, which is necessary for a good atomization. In this case, however, too great a space remains free over that part of the vessel filled with liquid, into which too much steam could escape from the liquid contents;

of the vessel. This loss of steam concentrated the liquid too much, so that its drying up and therefore the formation of incrustations was very much favored.

It has now been found that soap powder may be produced by the direct atomization of liquid grain soap easily and advantageousi.-e. without too great an expendlture of grain soap by heating.

favorable conditions as solution was so much diluted by heat, if the process is carried out so that no appreciable quantities of solid material can deposit on the inner walls of the pressure vessel during the heating of the grain soap in the latter vessel. More particularly filled soaps may be advantageously treated in this way. By filledsoap is meant any soap which contains one or several of the fillers own in the art, e. g. water-glass, soda, potash, borax, salts Fullers earth, etc. 5

According to this invention the forma tion of incr stations is'prevented by adding to the liquid soap being treated solid salts which have a salting-out effect, such as com- 55 mon salt or caustic alkali and injecting a highly compressed gaseous medium in the space above t-heliquid soap. The space over the liquid which i filled with the gaseous medium is preferably kept as-small as pos- 7o sible, so that only a small amount of gaseous medium will be required. During the injectlon of the gaseous medium the mixture in the vessel is heated above 100 C. and allowed to settle, so that brine separates below and thinly liquid grain soap above, which latter is then atomized.

, Instead of solid salt, concentrated brine, or a mixture of solid salt and brine or caustic alkali lyes may also be used. As gaseous media may be used steam or a. noncondensible gas, such as air. When steam is employed it is preferably used as highly com pressed and as superheated as possible. The vessel is being heated during the injection and under these conditions the amount of water which condenses is insufficient to di lute the soap lye excessively and therefore produce the mentioned disadvantages. However, it is not essential that the steam should be superheated, and when employing air it is not necessary to heat the latter at all.

Naturally solid salt or brine, or other salts, such as, for example, Glaubers salt, sodium phosphate, potassium chloride, potassium acetate, etc.', may be added when no steam is injected, more particularly when a non-condensing gas is injected in the space over the liquid. The following examples indicate the of phosphoric acid, clay, g0

- Q thinly liquid interior of the vessel, until a pressure of terior of the vessel.

about 4 to 10 atmospheres is attained. The vessel is then allowed to stand for a short time and the rain soap, which meanwhile has separated rom and lies on the surface of the brine, is led to the atomizing nozzles under the pressure prevailing in the vessel.

2. Liquid grain soap contained in a closed vessel is floated on a layer of hot, saturated common salt solution. The vessel is now heated by direct firing, or else by steam pipes, running through the interior of the vessel or situated in the walls of the vessel,.which do. not allow any steam to get into the in- Simultaneously comressed air at 10 to 14 atmospheres pressure is pumped into the space above the liquid in the vessel. 175 C. is reached, stand for a short time, and then the thinlyliquid grain soap 'floating about on the sur- Kfaee is forced to the atomization apparatus.

I do not intend to limit myself in any way whatsoever to the detailsnmentioned in the foregoing gard to the methods of working, the temperatures, pressures, mixtures, heating devices, etc. Every working procedure and accessory thereto, in which soap powder is prepared from liquid grain soap, more particularly I from filled grain soap, in such a way that vention. In this way a rent of air by means of paratus;

pressure revailing the grain soap is .heated in a closed vessel to a temperature above 100? C.'w ith employment of the said means. for preventing solid masses or crusts from setting on the walls of the vessel during the saidheating, and the grain soap, while still hot, is to an atomizingdevice by the in the vessel and'is thus converte ,.by means of a known atomization process, into soap owder, isto be regarded as coming within t e scope of the present in.-

' dry non-caking powder is formed against an op osed curany atomization apthe air current need be only comparatively weak and, also, need not be warmed. Since the heat content necessary for vapourizing the water contained'inthe atomized soap is, in the process which is the subject of the present invention, already presentin the hot soap mass to be atomized, it is not necessary, therefore, to supply it separately.

then supplied More particularly is it to be remarked, that the heating of the pressure vessel maybe When a temperature of about the vessel is allowed to.

description and examples with reproduced by any means, e.- g. from the em terior by direct firing, by an oilor metalbath, by a steam jac et, by tubes enclose *in or welded on the walls (on the casing), heated by steam, hot water under pressure, or hot oil. Also heating elements of any kind may be built or suspended within the vessel in the liquid. Also, in order to improve the heat istribution, a stirring mechanism of any kind may be arranged in any manner;

In the accompanying suitable for carr ing out tion is shown schematically and by way of example. v

Figure 1 shows a constructional form in liquid rain soap and salt liquor are simultaneous y pumped into the autoclave. After closing the autoclave the mixture is heated by the steam jacket. When the required High temperature is attained the stirrin mechanism is stoppedand themixture afiowedto settle. First of all the salt liquor is pressed out through the bottom cock then the ot grain soap now in the vessel is supplied to he atomization apparatus either by means of the intrinsic pressure or betterwith the assistance of compressed air.

In Fi 2 the heating is not effected by means of a double jacket but the liquid grain soap is directly pumped into the vessel and floatedon a ayer of saturated salt solution. The direct firin may be accomplished by means of a coal re or oil bath, or by means of gas, or otherwise as hereinbefore stated.

' Fig.

drawings, apparatus 3 shows a constructional form in the present inven-- which the heating apparatus lies in the lower ressure or tter then the hot liquid to the atomization apparatus. In place of solid salt, salt liquor may be used here, which is then heated by means of a worm. This heating may also be assisted by the direct introduction of steam.

Generally it must be mentioned in this connection that instead of pumping ready prepared liquid 1glrain soa into the pressure vessel it may the heat conduction is thatthe te at the same time about.

the steam lead'm -1n pipe rst of a1 be produced in" the same, and further that a stirring mechanism perature is produced in a fraction of the time which is necessary when salt or salt liquor are not used.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a pressure vessel with an inner vertical shaft 2 for the stirring mechanism 3. a The mechanism for driving the stir ring device is indicated with 4. 5 is a device for introducing liquid soap, as well as salt in solid form or in the form of concentrated solutions. dis a de-aerating cock, 7 is the draining cock, 8 is the steam jacket, 9 is the pipe for the fresh steam, 10 is the drain for the water of condensation.

In Fig. 2 instead of effecting the heating by means of the steam jacket 8, heating is effected by means of the heating furnace 11 having a fire 12 and lines 13.

According to Fig. 3 the heating is not effected from the exterior but is carried out by means of the heating worm 14 situated inside, and instead of the stirring mechanism the pipe 15 is arranged for blowing-in steam or compressed air. This pipe is also used at the same time for expellin under pressure.

I do not limit mysel in any way to the use of an apparatus which corresponds ex-.

actly to the apparatus shown in the drawing, but the apparatus ma be formed as de sired within the scope 0 the purpose apparent from the invention.

p What I claim is:

1. A process for producing soap powder from liquid grain soap which comprises heatingby an external source liquid grain soap in an enclosed space to a temperature exceeding 100 C. in presence of salts capable ofproducing a salting-out effect, and simultaneously injecting under high pressure a gaseous medium into the portion of the enclosed space above the liquid soap, then allowing the liquid soap to collect, and atomizing the same under the pressure prevailing in the enclosed space. 2. A process for producing soap powder from liquid grain soap which comprises heating by an external source liquid grain soap in an enclosed space to a temperature exceeding 100 C. with concentrated brine, and simultaneously injecting under high pressure a non-condensible as'into the portion of the enclosed' space aiove the liquid soap, then allowing the liquid soap to collect, and atomizing the same under in the enclosed space. 3. A process for producing soap powder from liquid grain soap which comprises heating by an external source liquid grain soap in an enclosed space to a temperature exceeding 100 C. with concentrated brine, and simultaneously injecting air into the portion of the enclosed space above the liquid soap, then allowing the liquid soap to collect, and atomizing the same under the pressure prevailing in the enclosed space.

4. A process for producing soap powder from liquid grain soap which comprises heatthe pressure prevailing ing by an external source liquid grain soap in an enclosed space to a temperature exceeding 100 C. with a salting-out effect, and simultaneously injecting highly compressed steam into the portion of the enclosed space above the liquid soap, then. allowing the liquid soap to collect, and atomizing the same under the pressure prevailing in the enclosed space.

5. i A process for producing soap powder from liquid grain soap which comprises heating by an external source liquid grain soap in an enclosed space to a temperature exceeding 100 C. with concentrated brine, and simultaneously injecting highly compressed steam into the portion of the enclosed space above the liquid soap, then allowing the liquid soap to collect, and atomizing the same under the pressure prevailing in the enclosed space as and for the purposes set forth. I

6. A process for producing soap powder from liquid grain soap which comprises heating by an external source liquid grain soapin an enclosed space to a temperature exceeding 100 C. with concentrated brine, and solid solid salts capable of producing and simultaneously injecting highly compressed steam into the portion of the enclosed space above the liquid soap, then allowing the liquid soap to collect, and atomizing the same under the enclosed space.

7. A process for producing soap powder which consists in heating in a closed vessel a mixture of liquid grain soap having a fatty acid content of from 60 to quantity of common salt, entering at the bottom of until a pressure of from 4 to 10 atmospheres is attained, then permitting the mixture to stand for a short time causin grains of soap to form and collect on top 0% the surface of the brine and conducting the grains while maintaining said pressure into an atomizing apparatus.

8. A process for producing soap powder which consists in heating in a closed vessel a mixture of liquid grainsoap having a fatty acid content of from 60 to 61% and a requisite quantity of common salt, by means of highly compressed steam forced .into the mixture at the bottom of said vessel, until a pressure of from 4 to 10 atmospheres is at-' tained, then permitting the mixture to stand for a short time causing grains of soap to form and collect on top of the surface of the brine and conducting the grains while maintaining said pressure into an atomizing apparatus. 1

9. A process for producing soap powder which consists in heating in a closed vessel a mixture of liquid grain soap having a by means of steam said closed vessel,

pressure prevailing in the Y fatty acid content of from 60 to 64% and I vessel, until a pressure of from 4 to atmospheres is attained, then permitting the mixture to stand for-a short time causing grainsof soap to form and collect on top of 5 the surface of the brine and subsequently converting said grains of soap by atomization to powder while maintaining said pressure. a

10. A process for producing soap powder which consists in heating in a closed vessel a mixture of liquid grain soap having a fatty acid content of from 60 to 64% and a requisite quantity of common salt, by means I of highly compressed steam forced into the mixture at the bottom of said vessel, until a pressure of from 4 to 10 atmospheres is attained, then permitting the mixture to stand for a short-time causing grains of sea to form and collect .on top of the surface 0 the brine and subsequently converting to powder the grains of soap "by atomization while maintaining said pressure.

In testimony ereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ADOLF WELTER 

